the_debt_of_time

"To prove the potion works," she explained, clearing her throat and nervously
tucking a strand of long, red hair behind her ear. "And to also make sure everyone was
aware that you and I have not engaged in intimate matters."
Sirius smirked. "Tell that to Prongs's hand up your blouse."
She glared at him threateningly. "Sirius, drink up."
After at least thirty seconds of absolute silence, he threw back the glass of firewhisky
defiantly.
"Is it true you haven't slept with any girl since Mia?" Lily asked.
"Yes, it's true," Sirius confessed.
"Why haven't you?"
Sirius tried to struggle, but there was no use. "Because... I d-don't want her to
think I'm some disgusting rake who just beds any witch who asks. I w-wanted to make sure
she knew that she was s-special. Fuck!" He stood up and kicked the side of the sofa.
"Sit back down, Padfoot," Remus instructed him.
Mia gaped, looking across the table at her friend accusingly. "What the hell is this?"
"I'm happy James and I came together naturally." Lily smiled, reaching across the
sofa to hold James's hand. "But now that we've found... this, I regret the time wasted.
Watching the two of you dance around each other for the past few years—with Remus
caught up in the middle—has been awkward and painful." Mia and Sirius both frowned as
they looked at James and Remus, who were nodding in agreement. "You're both
unbelievably stubborn, but you're my friends, and I love you, and I want—we want—you
to be happy."
Remus nodded his head in agreement. "Lily's right. You're both holding back for
one reason or another, just waiting for the other person to make a move first."
"I really hate to agree with them because you're my sister, and you're my best friend,
and the idea of you together makes me physically ill," James said, "but, Mia, you've been
lonely ever since you split with Remus; we can all see it. And Pads, you're going to drink
yourself to death if you don't figure things out." He eyed the way that Sirius was already
looking at the bottle of firewhisky. "Mia's a big part of it, I know because anytime you
drink, all you do is talk about her."
"This is so manipulative," Mia mumbled bitterly.
"Shut up and drink," Lily demanded, gesturing to Mia's filled glass.